House hail-receptacle



.W. H. MARTIN.

' HOUSE MAIL RECEPTACLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.31, 1920.

1,359,41 2, Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

William Mart in,

W. H. MARTIN.

HOUSE MAIL RECEPTACLE. APPLICATION man MAR.31. 1920.

Patentea Nov. 16, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM Y-I. MARTIN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

HOUSE MAIL-RECEPTACLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1.6, 1926.

Application filed "March 31, 1920. Serial No. 370,127.

31*"0 all to 20m it may come n:

- t known that I, .Vnonrau H. MARTIN,

. in the county of Wayne and. State of lvlichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in House Mail-Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

his invention relates'to mail boxes and has i: an object to provide a mail box havs-cparate compartments for receiving and retaining mail matter of different classes with improved means for positioning the n1..il box conveniently accessible to the mail carrier.

Further object of the invention is to provide a mail box having a compartment propproportioned to receive mail and other ages of large size, with a closuret'or "h comg iartment and an auxiliary comnent, having a communicating slot for .aving mail matter of small size, with a closure for the auxiliary compartment opening into the larger compartment and controlled by a lock positioned within the larger compartment.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention comprises certain novel units, structures, combinations and functions as will le hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of one type of the improved mail. box with one type of support.

ig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the lesser diameter as indicated by line of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a different type of mail box, embodying the same in ventive conce t but different in shape and showing a different type of support.

5 is a vertical sectional view taken 'ne 5-5 of Fig. 4.

5. 6 is a vertical sectional view at right i as to the plane of Fig. and taken on line 66 of Fig. 4.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The improved mail box, which forms the subject matter of this application, may be ade of various shapes and designs but comprises a body portion 10 as indicated at Fig. 1 or 11 as indicated at Fig. 4. The mail box is closed at the top in such manner as to prevent the access of water thereto by a cover member 12 having overhanging and downwardly extending eaves 13. At the front a large door or closure 14 is provided, having a latch 15 communicating with the larger interior compartment 16. It is not the intent to lock the door 14 but to have it retained in closed position only by the manual latch permitting the open ing of such door for the deposit of large mail matter, parcels, packages, newspapers and the like. The second compartment 17 is provided by a partition 18 having a letter slot 19 for the insertion of letters into the compartment 17. The partition 18 is provided with a hinged closure 20 having a lock 21 accessible only from within the compartment 16.

The device, so constructed, is mounted. in. any approved manner, depending upon the required. location a tripod 22 being shown Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the lower extremities of the legs being pointed for insertion into the ground. At Fig. 4 a post 23 is shown likewise pointed and it is the intent that either of these supports should be mounted. upon the lawn. or in other position adjacent the route of the letter carrier making it unnecessary for the carrier to travel from the highway to the door of the recipient. At F C and 6 posts shown and such posts may be the equivalent of the post 23 or may be the post of a porch or other permanent structure easily available to the carrier.

it is well known that letter carriers employ a large portion of their time travel from the sidewalk or other highway to the doors the recipient and. waiting the coming oi the recipient in answer to rings at the doc-r .1 other alarms. It is also well known that house deliveries of city newspapers are made, under many circumstances, by throwing the paper on to the lawn or the porch or the steps where it is subject to be carried away by the wind or being reduced to pulp by rain falling thereon. With the use of the device of the present application not only mail matter a be' conveniently deposited with minimum loss of time but newspapers and other matter which are delivered at residences, may; likewise be deposited within the compartment 16 without danger from the elements and with a minimum of labor. While the device is especially intended for mail matter, daily newspapers and the like it is obviously not limited to such articles and may be a receptacle for any article that is to be delivered at the address.

' A signaling device 25 adapted to be turned to upright position when things are placed in the receptacle and thrown down when they are removed is preferably mounted in any appropriate manner on the top of the device, as shown. The cover '12 is'also preferably hinged, as at 26, to enable the mail. 'or other articles to be deposited therein from the top when more convenient than through door 14. The compartment 17 is too narrow for the hand to be inserted from the top to remove its contents, and may be partially closed at the top, as indicated at Fig. 5 to more securely guard its contents.

It will be understood that these receptacles may be attached to a fence post, a porch post or be supported on independent posts or legs, as "shown in thedrawings. Such posts or legs when specially designed as a part of the'device are formed pointed so that they maybe inserted in the parking or lawn alongside of the walk or'curb to bring the box to the position which will be the most desirable and convenient for the purpose.

Having thus fully described my said invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A deposit receptacle for mail, etc, comprising, a housing divided by a vertical partition into a larger compartment for receiving large packages and a smaller cornpartment for receiving letter mail or like small packages, said housing havinga perforation permitting the introduction of small packages into the smaller compartment from without and an opening in the si'de'ther'eof permitting access to the larger compartment from without, a closure for the opening, said partition provided with an opening and a hinged closure therefor whereby access is had to the smaller compartment only within the larger compartment, a lock for the last mentioned closure, and a hinged cover forming the top of the receptacle and permitting access to the larger compartment only.

2. A deposit receptacle for mail, etc, comprising, a housing divided by a vertical partition into a larger compartment fer receiving large packages and a smaller compartment for receiving letter mail or like smallpackages, said housing having a perforation permitting the introduction of small packages into thesmaller compartment from the top.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Detroit, Michigan, this 29th day of March, A. nineteen hundred and twenty.

WILLIAM H. Mi-hRTlN. [n s] Vitnesses 2 PHILIP E. GRENIE F. .STURDEVANT; 

